Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-09-08
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE DUcnrs Is DIAMONDS.

II was the evening OF Thursday, the
SIX nth OF August, and Mrs. Grey sat
In tna tapes ry-roo n, the room allotted
to n ass, watching the sunset over
tie trees. Ibs d Ike and duchess had
goIe odt To line, and just fore start
NJ the due less came TO her. She
knew vat IL was one of the greatest
p.e ,sares OF Mrs. Grey's life to see her
IA la attire, and on this evening she
woe dress of white silk, trimmed
Win passioa-fDwers, and a suite OF
rnOIes. She had never looked more
beautiful, and following the strange
attraction that drew her always to
Mrs. Grey, she went to say good
ght to her. Tney stood talking about
jewels, and Mrs. Grey asked why she
did not wear her diamonds. She
thought they looked better with white
sil6 even IN m the rich, glowing rubies.
Suddenly Mrs. Grey looked up at the
lovely young face.
~ on mast have some very magniii-
cent diamonds" she said. II have
read of the Meath diamonds; they ara
famous"
Have you never seen them?" asked
the duchess.
Mo- replied Mrs. Grey. 81 may
hive seen some when you have Worn
Chem; but l shou d so much like to see
the whole collection"
The sight OF anything that conduced
to her daughters honor and glory was
pleasant to ner. The diamonds in them
selves did not interest her it was only
because they wers her daug lter's.
"You shall see them" said the duch-
ess. brightly. Il am proud of my dia7
monds. l call them nine, but really /
Only hold them in trust" she continued.
"Tney are the property ofevery Ouch
ess of Meath, but we can not do what
we like with them; we simply hold
them in trust for the one who succeeds
us. My husbands mother, the late
Duchess OF Neith, was present at the
queens coronation, and it Is said that
she wore the finest diamonds shown on
that occasion; they have been reset for
me-"
"They must form princely heritage
in themselves" said Mrs. Grey.
"Ies, they do" said the duchess,
thoughJGully.
She was just wondering, in that
strange fashion of hers, why SO much
was given to some-so little to others.
One OF those diamonds would be q
small fortune to Mrs. Grey, while she
had so many of them.
"Do you keep them here at the
CASTER" asked Mrs. Grey.
"Yes; they are always in my dress.
in, groom. The walls are very thick,
and in one of them stands strong iron
safe. 1t is the most secure place for
keeping them. No one who did not
know the secret would ever think there
was safe there"
IL am not quite sure if should cara
to keep such valuable things out of
strong-room," said Mrs. Grey.
''Tney are safe enolgh," laugh ed
the duchess. snow goodnight, Mrs.
Grey. [ am so pleased TO see you look
ing so much better. You are very hap
py with us, are you not?"
Il am happier than words can tell"
she replied fervently. "If were to
live hundred years and spend every
moment of each of them In trying to
express my gratitude to you, still
should never be able to thank you
enough"
II want no thanks" said the Ouch
ess. "My reward is to see the i'm
provement in you."
Then they babe each other kindly
goodnight. 1t was strange to the
young duchess what sense of peace
and comfort came over her when she
had been with Mrs. Grey.
"Shall you be Later" asked Mrs. Grey,
as the duchess left the room.
II am afraid so; but ii Is really dark
in the summer" she answered., NOR
is it often cold"
Then she went away, and soon after
ward Mrs. Goey heard the roll OF car
rage wheels, and she knew they had
gone. AS q rule she was restless in
this magnificent mansion when the
mistress of it was away, but tonight o
curious sensation had come over her,
as though this were a hating place in
her life-as though she had come to
the end of one set Of circumstances and
was commencing another. With it
was feeling of dread that she could
not underestimate feeling as though
something terrible was going to hap
pen. ItcDme over her with a shudder
os of one who suffers from great chill,
She could see nothing in her life that
need alarm her; her secret was quite
safe; indeed. there was no human pos
sibilty by which 1t could ever be re-
vealed. Every one who hod ever known
her believed her dead, and buried in
the family vault at Clitfe seventeen
wears ago. She was under the same
roof with her own daughter, and no
one had ever made the faintest guess at
her identity. 1t was more than certain
now they never would.
There was nothing for her to fear or
to apprehend, yet she had that chill
sense of coming sorrow 50 strongly
upon her. AS she watched the sunlight
die over the trees, and the soft shadows
fail. old me nories came strongly upon
her. Memories of install; of Cyril
Marine and lis beautiful music; of the
brief sweet wooing; of the marriage
and the going home; OF the cruelty and
persecution OF Lady Perth; of her
husbands absorption in hi, books and
studies; of the birth of little Sunbeam;
of the coming of Darcy Este. What a
strange mixed life, what pleasure and
what cru i pain it had held. Perhaps
the strangest phase in it was this
that brou sht her to her daughters
house; she whom every one believed to
be dead. She did not regret the sacri-
flee she had made now; she would have
died hundred deaths rather than that
her daughter should ever have known
of the shadow on her fair name. They
had been merciful to her. Lady Perth,
VINO had persecuted her SO cruelty in
life, had been pitiful to her after death
Even her own daughter had never
heard one syllable against her, but
loved aud revered her memory, spoke
of her with tears In her beautiful eyes.
ats worth dying hundred times
over for" she said to herself.